As hybrid packet networks continue to evolve, the need for diagnosing troubled connections becomes increasingly important to the service provider of such networks. Hybrid IP (Internet Protocol) networks can include, for example, conventional IP routers and Ethernet switches for interconnecting parties. It is very common for these networks to support multicast communications (e.g., streaming video) between a source and many receivers such as computer terminals. When a user of a receiver experiences a communication interruption, it is common practice for the user to call the service provider and seek technical assistance.
Typically, service providers employ conventional diagnostic tools operating at the receiver of the end user to diagnose faults in the multicast connection. Tools such as “Mtrace” can be used to trace the multicast route from the receiver to the source. Consequently, the service provider can quickly diagnose, for example, a faulty router or links and thereby take evasive action to restore service to the end user. In hybrid networks, however, Ethernet switches serve as a pass-through devices in which IP mtrace packets are relayed between switches without inclusion of telemetry data from the switches. Consequently, if the communication issue arises from a fault at an Ethernet switch or sequence of switches, the service provider has no means of detecting the fault with a conventional Mtrace diagnostic test.
A need therefore arises for a method and apparatus for diagnosing faults in a hybrid IP network.